In Kyiv, a university vice-rector promised a man admission to a PhD program in exchange for a bribe to help him avoid military service

The vice-rector of a Kyiv university has been detained for accepting a $2,000 bribe in exchange for promising admission to a postgraduate program, which would allow the individual to avoid military conscription.

This was reported by the Kyiv police.

The official, the vice-rector in charge of academic, scientific, and production affairs, guaranteed the man admission to the university’s postgraduate program in exchange for $2,000. He promised that the bribe-giver would be successfully enrolled, as he claimed he would speak to members of the examination committee.

Law enforcement officers apprehended the university official while he was receiving the bribe and have charged him under Article 369-2, Part 3 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code—abuse of influence. The charge carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison, along with the confiscation of property.

The police report did not disclose the name of the individual involved, but Telegram channels suggest that the vice-rector in question is from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine.

Earlier this summer, the head of a department at a Kharkiv university demanded $10,000 for admission to a master’s program, which also offers a deferral from conscription.

In general, it’s reported that up to $150,000 a month is being made in Ukraine through bribes from individuals seeking to avoid conscription.